Imaging rig idea

[martin_h]

Been having a think - like you do!

Given that the weather is not been good for the past few months, I had an idea to cut down on imaging time. 2 ED80's on a HEQ6 with a guide scope between them and 2 CCD's. I have the QHY9 mono and they do a OSC version as well, so 1 scope for lum and the other for RGB at the same time......workable idea? or not?

Ant thoughts?

[angusb1]

Sounds quite similar to Psychobilly's widefield rig in principle.

[Psychobilly]

Yep should work......

If you use guide rings to mount the scope you can co-align them ...

Balance shouldnt be an issue as you would essentialy have the same kit on both ends...

I Use DSLR's on B&S heads to take iamges of two different targets at the same time in an attempt to make the best use of limited imaging opportunities...

Auriga Imagings Registar would be my software of choice for combining the data...

Billy...

[Uranium235]

Thats the exact same setup that I'd like to be working towards, except with a 2nd hand 285 based OSC cam. It would also eliminate the problem of differing seeing conditions since the luminence and colour frames are being taken at the same time.

[shaunster]

Yes sounds good, using a finder guider and the setup is no heaver than using an ST80 as a guidescope either

[johnrt]

Sounds ideal - everything you need in one go.

I also saw an adapter on telescope service that let you put your DSLR on the counterweight bar too - x3 cams at once!

Now if only we could get it to make a brew too......

[Uranium235]

Just a thought - but looking at your sig, Im sure you could go faster with the stuff you already have.

Dont know if it would work, but you could put your 8" SCT on the HEQ5 and hyperstar it for f2. The only downside I can think of is changing filters, but its a lot cheaper than a new mount, camera and scope.

[martin_h]

Sold the 8SE last week (have adjusted sig to suit)

[ollypenrice]

Billy is right on Registar, you would need that. I suspect you are making a big assumption in thinking that mono RGB and OSC are equivalent in a given exposure time. I don't think they are. I think that 3 hours OSC and 3 hours Lum added would be inefficient because you would wash out the colour data. I have OSC and mono versions of the same camera and have combined data, but never just L and OSC. Now I might be wrong on this but that's my gut feeling from working with OSC and mono data.

However, the idea remains good. I would do something like this; shoot non stop OSC on one side. On the other shoot a good dose of lum and then some RGB, maybe binned, for colour saturation. Or, and I do this a lot on emission nebulae, OSC on one side and Ha on the other. That really does make it sing.

Here are a couple done that way:

http://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Photography/Widefield-images-including/NAN-FINISHED/1140503434_oQfB2-X3.jpg

http://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Nebulae-and-clusters/ROSETTEPSEPT10/1013289628_hS3L7-X3.jpg

Yet another speed option; you have mono and OSC and this is what I use in my Canon EF200L lens. I use the OSC for colour and get Ha in the mono. You can certainly run this at f3.2 which is around four times as fast as an ED80, not twice as fast as with the double barreled system. You need something like the Geoptik adapter to fit lens to camera. Example of this system;

http://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Photography/Widefield-images-including/SIMEIS-147-HArgb/1182345194_8j8Pv-X2.jpg

Olly

[martin_h]

I was thinking along those line.....RGB in one and lum in the other, with the option for Ha and RGB in one or the other. With the reducer on the 80 it comes down to f6.3 not hugly fast but not too bad.

[ollypenrice]

True, f6.3 is reasonable. I think the 2-shooter is a great idea. You can adjust the blends in the light of experience. In my own case, buying a second FSQ85 has certain disadvantages...

Olly

[martin_h]

I'll have to get my hand down the back of the settee to find some spare cash then!

[martin_h]

Just an update on this thread....I have just orderd the above kit..........sorry for the cloud cover.

[martin_h]

HEQ6, ED80, Rings, and bits and bobs arrived today, just waiting for the CCD and I'll let you know how it all works out.........BTW its raining